LiverScreen project: study protocol for screening for liver fibrosis in the general population in European countries.

BACKGROUND: The development of liver cirrhosis is usually an asymptomatic process until late stages when complications occur. The potential reversibility of the disease is dependent on early diagnosis of liver fibrosis and timely targeted treatment. Recently, the use of non-invasive tools has been suggested for screening of liver fibrosis, especially in subjects with risk factors for chronic liver disease. Nevertheless, large population-based studies with cost-effectiveness analyses are still lacking to support the widespread use of such tools. The aim of this study is to investigate whether non-invasive liver stiffness measurement in the general population is useful to identify subjects with asymptomatic, advanced chronic liver disease. METHODS: This study aims to include 30,000 subjects from eight European countries. Subjects from the general population aged ≥ 40 years without known liver disease will be invited to participate in the study either through phone calls/letters or through their primary care center. In the first study visit, subjects will undergo bloodwork as well as hepatic fat quantification and liver stiffness measurement (LSM) by vibration-controlled transient elastography. If LSM is ≥ 8 kPa and/or if ALT levels are ≥1.5 x upper limit of normal, subjects will be referred to hospital for further evaluation and consideration of liver biopsy. The primary outcome is the percentage of subjects with LSM ≥ 8kPa. In addition, a health economic evaluation will be performed to assess the cost-effectiveness and budget impact of such an intervention. The project is funded by the European Commission H2020 program. DISCUSSION: This study comes at an especially important time, as the burden of chronic liver diseases is expected to increase in the coming years. There is consequently an urgent need to change our current approach, from diagnosing the disease late when the impact of interventions may be limited to diagnosing the disease earlier, when the patient is asymptomatic and free of complications, and the disease potentially reversible. Ultimately, the LiverScreen study will serve as a basis from which diagnostic pathways can be developed and adapted to the specific socio-economic and healthcare conditions in each country. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study is registered on Clinicaltrials.gov ( NCT03789825 ).

Por un futuro mejor: programa de promoción de la salud para Afrodescendientes / Por um futuro melhor: programa de promoção da saúde para Afro-descendentes / For a better future: program of health promotion for Afro-descend

Introducción: Las familias afrocolombianas se caracterizan por vivir en contextos de alta vulnerabilidad, que requieren su fortalecimiento con programas en promoción de la salud. Objetivo: Construir un programa de promoción de la salud, con familias afrocolombianas en situación de pobreza en Tumaco, año 2012. Materiales y Métodos: Investigación - Acción - Participativa, conformando un grupo y comisión de seguimiento, esto permitió la adaptación de la propuesta de Martí a través de cuatro etapas en el proceso. Resultados: El programa de Promoción de la Salud fue una construcción colectiva entre el grupo Investigación Acción Participación, la comisión de seguimiento y las familias, realizada en cuatro fases: Etapa 1: Inicio y preparación del campo. Etapa 2. Diagnóstico: Aproximación al universo de las familias afrocolombianas. Etapa 3. Construcción y aplicación de programa de promoción de la salud: “Del dicho al hecho superamos los trechos”. Etapa 4. Evaluación y proyección del programa: “Evaluando vamos terminando”. Discusión y Conclusiones: La construcción social del programa de promoción de la salud, así como el abordaje pedagógico y didáctico para el desarrollo del mismo, se desarrolló en función del contexto cultural, desde la perspectiva de la Investigación Acción Participación. El programa “Por un futuro mejor” permitió crear nuevos conocimientos a familias, líderes y profesionales de la salud a partir de la realidad e intercambio de saberes, con acciones dirigidas a fortalecer el amor propio, la comunicación, el entorno y la participación, con el fin de mejorar las condiciones de salud.

Introdução: As famílias afro-colombianas caracterizam-se por viver em contextos de alta vulnerabilidade, que requerem seu fortalecimento com programas em promoção da saúde. Objetivo: Construir um programa da promoção da saúde, com famílias afro-colombianas em situação de pobreza em Tumaco, ano 2012. Materiais e Métodos: Investigação-Ação-Participativa, formando um grupo e a comissão de seguimento, este permitiu a adaptação da proposta do Martí através de quatro etapas no processo. Resultados: O programa de Promoção da Saúde foi uma construção coletiva entre o Grupo Investigação Ação Participação, a comissão de seguimento e as famílias, realizado em quatro fases: Etapa 1: Inicio e preparação do campo. Etapa 2. Diagnóstico: Aproximação ao universo das famílias afro-colombianas. Etapa 3. Construção e aplicação do programa de promoção da saúde: “Do dizer ao fazer, superamos as distâncias”. Passo 4. Avaliação e projeção do programa: "Avaliando vamos terminando" Discussão e Conclusões: A construção social do programa de promoção da saúde, bem como a abordagem pedagógica e didática para o desenvolvimento do mesmo, desenvolveu-se em função do contexto cultural, desde a perspectiva da Investigação Ação Participação. O programa “Por um futuro melhor” permitiu criar novos conhecimentos às famílias, líderes e profissionais da saúde a partir da realidade e intercâmbio de saberes, com ações dirigidas a fortalecer o amor próprio, a comunicação, o entorno e a participação, com o fim de melhorar as condições de saúde.

Introduction: Afro-Colombian families live in contexts characterized by high vulnerability that require strengthening programs in health promotion. Objective: To build a program of health promotion, with Afro-Colombian families in poverty in Tumaco, 2012. Materials and Methods: Research - Action - Participatory, forming a group and monitoring committee, this allowed the adaptation of the proposal Martí through four stages in the process. Results: The program of Health Promotion was a collective effort between the Research Action Group Participation, the monitoring committee and families, carried out in four stages: Stage 1: Initiation and preparation of the field. Step 2. Diagnosis: An approach to the universe of Afro-Colombian families. Stage 3. Construction and application of program health promotion: "Easier said than done overcome the stretches". Step 4. Evaluation and projection of the program: "Evaluating we finished." Discussion and Conclusions: The social construction of program health promotion as well as the educational and training to develop the same approach, developed depending on the cultural context, from the perspective of Action Research Participation. The "For a better future" allowed families to create new knowledge, leaders and health professionals from reality and knowledge exchange, with actions aimed at strengthening self-esteem, communication, the environment and participation, to improve health conditions.

Viviendo en un valle de lágrimas:contexto ambiental de ancianos ensituación de discapacidad y pobreza / Living in a valley of tears: the environmental context of impoverished and disabled elderly / Vivendo em um vale de lágrimas: contexto ambiental dos maiores e portadores de necessidades especiais em condição social desfavorável

En este artículo se presenta el contexto ambiental de las personas ancianas en situación de discapacidad y pobreza que habitan en cinco barrios de la ciudad de Bogotá D.C. y su relación con el cuidado. Se utilizó una metodología cualitativa de tipo etnográfico. Los colaboradores fueron dieciséis personas mayores de sesenta años de edad y se realizaron entrevistas etnográficas y observación participante. Elementos del contexto ambiental como la pobreza, la migración, las condiciones del ambiente físico-geográfico, los servicios y los profesionales de la salud; los aspectos políticos, y la tecnología actúan como barreras o facilitadores en el cuidado. Los profesionales de enfermería deben considerar el contexto ambiental para brindar cuidado, en el que se considere a la persona desde su integralidad y de manera holística...

This article examines the environmental context of disabled elderly people living in poverty in five districts of Bogotá and their relationship with care. A qualitative ethnographic methodology was used, including participant observation and ethnographic interviews that were conducted with the sixteen people over sixty years of age who took part in the study. It found that several components of the environmental context - such as poverty, migration, physical-geographic environment, health services and their providers, politics, and technology - act as barriers or facilitators of care. Nurse Practitioners should consider the environmental context when providing care and use a comprehensive, holistic approach...

Neste artigo é apresentado o contexto ambientai das pessoas de maior idade em situacáo de incapacidade e pobreza que moram em cinco bairros da cidade de Bogotá D.C. e sua re la cao com o cuidado. Utüizou-se urna metodologia qualitativa de tipo etnográfico. Os colaboradores foram dezesseis pessoas maiores de ses senta anos de idade e rcalizaram-se entrevistas etnográficas e observacáo participante. Elementos do contexto ambiental como a pobreza, a migracáo, as condicóes do ambiente físico-geográfico, os servicos e os profissionais da saúde; osaspetos políticos, e a tecnologia atuam como barreiras ou facilitadores no cuidado. Os profissionais de enfermagem devem considerar o contexto ambiental para o fe re ce r cuidado, no qual se considere as pessoas desde sue integralidade e de maneira holistica…

[Resilience in old age]. / Resiliencia en la vejez.

The aim of this study was to characterise and analyse articles published on resilience and old-age from 1990-2006. After a systematic search of five databases (Academic Search Premier-Ebsco Host, Medline, Psyc Articles, Ovid and Science Direct) 33 pieces of literature were included in the analysis. The selected articles had 31 different definitions of resilience, from eight disciplines, mainly health-related fields. It was also found that the research studied the association of resilience with individual (68 variables) and social/environmental factors (17 variables); the most frequent were age and health self-perception. Cultural and religious values were of special interest amongst the latter variables. The literature review demonstrated that resilience in old age is a topic having increasing research interest; this has been linked to various individual, social and cultural factors. However, this is a rapidly developing area that requires that a unified definition be established and that a theoretical and intervention model be created.

Resiliencia en la vejez / Resilience in old age

El objetivo del presente estudio fue caracterizar la literatura sobre resiliencia y vejez publicada en el período comprendido entre 1990 a 2006. Tras la búsqueda sistemática en cinco bases de datos (Academic Search Premier (Ebsco Host), Medline, PsycArticles, Ovid y ScienceDirect) se incluyeron en el análisis 33 piezas de literatura en las cuales se encontró un total de 31 definiciones diferentes para la resiliencia, surgidas de ocho disciplinas, principalmente de campos relacionados con la salud. Igualmente se encontró que los trabajos de investigación estudiaron la asociación de la resiliencia con factores individuales (68 variables) y con factores sociales/ambientales (17 variables). Los factores más frecuentemente estudiados fueron la edad y la autopercepción de salud. De especial interés entre los factores socio/ambientales son los valores culturales y religiosos. La revisión de literatura realizada, pone en evidencia que la resiliencia en la vejez es un tópico de creciente interés investigativo al que han sido asociados diferentes factores individuales, sociales y culturales, sin embargo se trata de un área en pleno desarrollo que requiere del establecimiento de una definición unificada, y de la creación de un modelo teórico y de intervención.

The aim of this study was to characterise and analyse articles published on resilience and old-age from 1990-2006. After a systematic search of five databases (Academic Search Premier-Ebsco Host, Medline, Psyc Articles, Ovid and Science Direct) 33 pieces of literature were included in the analysis. The selected articles had 31 different definitions of resilience, from eight disciplines, mainly health-related fields. It was also found that the research studied the association of resilience with individual (68 variables) and social/environmental factors (17 variables); the most frequent were age and health self-perception. Cultural and religious values were of special interest amongst the latter variables. The literature review demonstrated that resilience in old age is a topic having increasing research interest; this has been linked to various individual, social and cultural factors. However, this is a rapidly developing area that requires that a unified definition be established and that a theoretical and intervention model be created.